Mia Wasikowska manages to keep a low profile despite starring in numerous films and having a high net worth. Here’s all you need to know about the actress.
Mia Wasikowska: Life, career, and net worth
If you’ve seen the films ‘Alice in Wonderland,’ ‘Jane Eyre,’ and ‘Crimson Peak,’ then Mia Wasikowska is probably a familiar face to you. The Australian actress has been acting in film and television since 2004. Read on to know more about her, including her background, her career, and her overall net worth.
Background and childhood
Mia Wasikowska was born on October 14, 1989. She was born and raised in the city of Canberra in Australia and, she has Polish and Australian ancestry. Both of her parents, John Reid and Marzena Wasikowska, work as photographers. Wasikowska has two siblings – an older sister named Jess and a younger brother named Kai. The Wasikowska siblings frequently participated in the work of their parents as subjects. Although an Australian citizen, Wasikowska has also experienced living in her mother’s home country of Poland when she and her family lived in the city of Szczecin for a year in 1998. Wasikowska attended four schools in Australia, Cook Primary School, Ainslie Primary School, Canberra High School, and Karabar High School. When she was nine years old, Wasikowska developed a passion for dance. She went to the Canberra Dance Development Centre to study ballet, however, she eventually gave up ballet at the age 14 because of an injury. She was also suffering from both physical and mental pressure which made it difficult for her to dance. After deciding not to pursue dance as a professional career, Wasikowska turned her attention to another area that she was interested in – acting. She was not a performer in school, however, she became inspired to try acting after watching films like ‘The Piano’ and ‘A Woman Under the Influence.’ For her, acting was “a way to explore human imperfections.”
Mia Wasikowska’s career as an actress
Here’s how the ‘Jane Eyre’ and ‘Stoker’ star started her journey as an actress. Mia Wasikowska began contacting talent agencies even thoug she didn’t have any experience as an actress. She was persistent and eventually received a response from an agency.
A young teen actress in ‘All Saints’
Wasikowska began her career as a teen actress in her native Australia. Her first role was in the medical drama series ‘All Saints’ in 2004. Wasikowska appeared as Lily Watson in a few episodes of the series that was quite popular in Australia. ‘All Saints’ aired for 12 seasons from February 1998 until October 2009. Two years after her first acting job, Wasikowska played the role of Lilya in the film ‘Suburban Mayhem.’ Her performance in the film was a notable one since she received a Young Actor’s AFI Award nomination. In 2007, Wasikowska continued to build her portfolio by appearing in a number of short films including ‘Lens Love Story,’ ‘Skin,’ and ‘Cosette.’
Breakthrough role in ‘In Treatment’
Four years after her debut on the show ‘All Saints,’ Wasikowska received her breakthrough role in the American drama series ‘In Treatment.’ She portrayed the role of Sophie, a suicidal gymnast. Wasikowska appeared in nine episodes of ‘In Treatment.’ This was her first appearance in a regular role. She also received an Australians in Film Breakthrough Award for her performance. In addition to that, Wasikowska’s performance in ‘In Treatment’ allowed her to land more roles in the United States. She became a part of films like ‘Defiance,’ ‘That Evening Sun,’ and ‘Amelia.’
‘Alice in Wonderland’
Wasikowska was 18 years old when she auditioned for Tim Burton’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and she successfully got the part. Director Tim Burton mentioned: “Because you’re witnessing this whole thing through her eyes, it needed somebody who can subtly portray that.” Wasikowska has always been fond of the fantasy novel and its young heroine. She expressed similarities between her and Alice, saying “Alice has a certain discomfort within herself, within society and among her peers; I have definitely felt similarly about all of those things, so I could really understand her not fitting in. Alice also is an observer who is thinking a lot, and that’s similar to how I am.” ‘Alice in Wonderland’ gained worldwide success in 2010. Earning $1.025 billion, it was one of the highest-grossing films of that particular year. It is also listed as one of the highest-grossing films of all time. Wasikowska won Choice Movie Actress in a fantasy movie at the Teen Choice Awards in 2010. Needless to say, ‘Alice in Wonderland’ was Wasikowska’s stepping stone to international success.
Continued success in ‘Jane Eyre’ and ‘Stoker’
After gaining worldwide recognition in “Alice in Wonderland,” Wasikowska continued to star in more Hollywood films.’
Wasikowska was a part of the 2010 film ‘The Kids Are All Right” which also starred Julianne Moore, Annette Bening, and Mark Ruffalo. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and it wass praised by critics for the actors’ performance as well as the themes in the story. In 2011, Wasikowska played Jane Eyre in the eponymous British film. She appeared alongside Michael Fassbender, Judi Dench, and Jamie Bell. Director Cary Fukunaga chose Wasikowska for the role because of the “sense of observation in her eyes.” From 2011-2013, Wasikowska landed several lead roles in movies such as ‘Restless,’ ‘Albert Nobbs,’ and ‘Lawless.’ Wasikowska continued to establish herself as one of Hollywood’s top young actresses with films like ‘Stoker’ and ‘Only Lovers Left Alive.’ ‘Stoker’ is a psychological thriller that was released in 2013. The film also starred fellow Australian actress Nicole Kidman. Wasikowska received various acting nominations, including a Saturn Award and Fangoria Chainsaw Award, for her performance in ‘Stoker.’ In the same year, Wasikowska starred in the Jim Jarmusch vampire film ‘Only Lovers Left Alive’ alongside Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton.
‘Crimson Peak’ and returning as Alice
In 2014, Wasikowska appeared in more films as the lead actress. She portrayed the role of Agatha Weiss in ‘Maps to the Stars’ and Emma Bovary in ‘Madame Bovary.’ The following year, Wasikowska reunited with her ‘Only Lovers Left Alive’ co-star Tom Hiddleston in the gothic horror film “Crimson Peak.” The film also starred Academy Award nominee Jessica Chastain. Wasikowska was again nominated for a Saturn Award and Fangoria Chainsaw Award for her performance in that film. Wasikowska was particularly fond of the artistic details in ‘Crimson Peak.’ The actress shared this statement in an interview, “I loved the corridor with the gothic teeth coming down [as arches] and just how it was shaped in a human form gave it a terrifying presence from the shape of it. They also had the word ‘fear’ etched into the wallpaper in the shape of moths. There was so much hidden meaning that I think people will pick up.” In 2016, Wasikowska reprised her role as Alice Kingsleigh in the film ‘Alice Through the Looking Glass.’
Upcoming films and ‘Damsel’ press conference
Wasikowska is a part of the 2018 comedy film ‘Damsel’ which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. She portrayed the role of Penelope, the wife of a pioneer played by Robert Pattinson. Wasikowska and Pattinson appeared together at the ‘Damsel’ press conference at the Berlinale and during the press conference, Wasikowska shared her thoughts regarding the #MeToo movement. The actress said, “I think this is a growing consciousness, changing the way women are seen – whether it’s in films or in culture or how they’re represented. I think the more you see empowering female characters who know who they are, who are challenging expectations that are deeply ingrained in culture, the better the fallout effect is.” Her co-star Pattinson also voiced his opinion. The actor said, “If you feel like you’ve been wronged and don’t have the ability to tell anyone about it, or that you’ve been bullied into silence, it’s kind of amazing when any kind of dam breaks and people have the numbers to expose this abuse. I think its pretty amazing.” The Damsel press conference was held at the 2018 Berlin Film Festival. Wasikowska is also set to appear in another movie this year entitled ‘Piercing.’
Net worth
The Australian actress’ net worth is estimated at $275 million dollars. Wasikowska has maintained a successful acting career in Hollywood over the past decade and this has clearly contributed to her financial success.
Other appearances
Wasikowska has graced the covers of various fashion magazines. She has been featured multiple times on the covers of magazines such as Vogue, Elle, and Harper’s Bazaar. Wasikowska also lent her voice to video games like ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and ‘Disney Infinity 3.0.’
Personal life
Despite gaining international success as a Hollywood star, Wasikowska still manages to keep a low profile. You’ll probably not see her spending her nights partying like so many other young Hollywood stars do. She enjoys simple activities such as knitting and gardening. In a magazine interview, the actress once talked about having a rather introverted personality. Here’s what she said, “I have a reputation for being quiet. I’m not like that in my real life at home but I don’t have that extrovert personality maybe in a public way. So I don’t think I’m too quiet but I probably am in comparison with the rest of that world. I don’t do myself favors because most of the things I talk about are knitting or gardening. I don’t do fun things.” While many Hollywood actresses prefer to live in Los Angeles, Wasikowska chose to reside in her home country. She currently lives in a beach side suburb near Sydney. Knowing this, you’d probably expect that Wasikowska is not a social media person and that is correct. The actress is not a fan of posting about her life online and when asked about her social media presence, Wasikowska said, “No, if someone’s tweeting it’s not me. It’s fake me. I don’t have a desire to tell people I am going into the bathroom but I get that kind of exposure in my job anyway so maybe that need is fulfilled. I’m sure if I didn’t feel exposed already I would understand it more. I don’t think I have anything interesting to say in a sentence on a regular basis.” Wasikowska is not concerned about becoming a fashion icon or a social media star. In fact, she does not fancy the glamorous Hollywood lifestyle. She prefers to focus on her craft and gain recognition for her performance in films. Indeed, Mia Wasikowska is a unique kind of celebrity in modern showbiz.
